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Tag Archives: hope

He sees me…

14 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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betrayed, broken, fallen, family, fragmented, god, grandchildren, hope, loved, ocean, perfect, perfection, sand, sea, seashells, wind

6:15am.

Awake to make the boys sandwiches for their Deep Sea Fishing trip today.

Coffee has brewed and its aroma fills the kitchen. I fill a mug and head to the balcony.

The sun is just beginning to display it’s beauty, barely showing itself with its pinks and orange and gold.

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I look out into the ocean and the only sense I can use is sound. Wave after wave rolls in, crashing against the shore. I can’t see it but I know it’s there. I can’t feel it but I know it’s there, doing what it does. I know that each time it rolls in, it’s bringing with it an abundance of sea shells. Some are perfect little specimens while others are a bit fragmented. But the ocean has cared for them all.

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I can’t physically see my God, but I know He’s there. I see him in the sunrise and in the ocean. I see him in the faces of my family. In the recent birth of our first Grand. I see Him in the friends who are loyal and faithful and real. In our crew who work hard, especially in our absence. I feel Him. I see Him.

And He sees me. His perfect creation, like a beautiful unaltered seashell cast upon the shore with wave after rolling wave. He sees me when I am a fragment of that shell. Broken, hurt, betrayed, fallen. He sees my broken pieces and loves me in spite of the jagged edges.

El Roi. He is the God who sees me.

Genesis 16:13The Message (MSG)
13 She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her,   “You’re the God who sees me!
“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”

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Being “Made Well”

04 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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Tags

addison road, author, burdens, faith, family, frustration, god, healing, heartache, hope, Image bearer, Jenny Simmons, loss, love, made well, madewellbook, New book release, singer, The Healer

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Jenny can write about loss, heartache and disappointment because her life has been filled with such. As you read her words, you relate to those times in life when your heart was broken because we have all experienced it. Some more than others, but we all have had disappointment and heartache. But what you walk away with when you read Made Well is the overwhelming and abundant message of hope. Beautiful soft, sweet hope!

Jenny shares with the reader about family tragedy and loss. You will cry when you read it. And you will cry when Jenny speaks of Paul McCartney and the healing that came from a concert filled with his music. You will laugh out loud when “worm poop” is mentioned and you will cringe and make an “ewwww” face when scabs are brought up. (I’m “ewwing” as I type this!!).

Jenny is one of the most real, vulnerable and honest authors I have ever read. There are no pretenses and you see that in every word written.

Being made well isn’t easy. We all have burdens, heartache, loss, frustrations and more than we have to process through. Because of Jenny’s book, I feel as though some loss that my family and I personally experienced earlier this year is beginning to seep out. I feel as though I am on the road to being made well. I’m trying to look for those little glimmers of hope and happiness that are sometimes not as obvious as other times. As Jenny says in her book, “ If my eyes are open and I am looking, I will see that the whole world is full of tiny particles of healing pointing me back to the Healer.”

The God inside of us, coming to surface even when a cure doesn’t happen as we’d like, the end result brings sadness or life comes unraveled…..He is true and His imagine is deep inside of us all. He is there “bypassing my desire for cheap grace and quick fixes. He invites!”

Thankful to Jenny for writing this book. For sharing her heart yet again (The Road to Becoming is her first book) and for helping us realize that being made well happens in the every day little things and the big things, the tiny glimpses and the fireworks overhead. May the healing begin!

Order Jenny’s Book Here

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bakerbooksbloggerssquarelogoBaker Books Publishing Group

Surprised By the Healer….

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

book, brokenness, faith, forgiveness, healing, hope, Jehovah rapha, new release, redemption, stories, surprised by the healer, thankful

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I wonder sometimes why we are still surprised when God does a great work in our lives.  We know He is capable of anything at any time. Always.  But still, we are surprised.

I read the newly released book, Surprised By the Healer and was amazed that the nine, amazingly courageous women who shared their stories were healed.  Of course God can heal. He is Jehovah Rapha.  But that these women allowed Him too? Oh my goodness.

My life has been fairly straight up. I mean, yes….the parents divorced…twice (that’s another blog for another day, right Mom? :-))) and there were issues along my journey in life but what these women went through you’d think I grew up at Disney World!

There was heartache that was unimaginable.  Pain and suffering that were unheard of. Parents harming their children. People taking advantage. Wrong choices made. Over and over and over.

Yet….hope was found.  Redemption won.  Forgiveness granted.  Sin cast aside. Renewal was fresh and wondrous.  These 9 women and the authors, Linda Dillow and Julie Slattery have shown me that my story isn’t who I am.  The things in my past that I wish I could change are no longer present in God’s eyes. (thankful for His grace and forgiveness)  Hope can be found again, even when you think it’s useless.

God is good.  Redemption is sweet.  This book? A must read for anyone with a broken story.  Or for anyone who needs a softer heart towards those with brokenness.  This book…..read and revel in the Healer, Jehovah Rapha!

 

 

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Gratitude…Day One

19 Monday Oct 2015

Tags

Ann Voskamp, eucharisteo, fait, family, fath, give thanks, god, gratitude, hope, joy, lake, love, one thousand gifts, thankfulness, trip

Studying Ann VosKamp’s book One Thousand Gifts where she leads us on a journey of Eucharisteo….giving thanks. So, this morning as my Guy, one of our Joys and myself head out for a little jaunt, I can’t help but to be focused on my surroundings.

We are en route to Guntersville here in Alabama. It’s not very far and it makes for a nice drive. Guntersville is a very popular place to be in the summer time because of its beautiful lake. We are heading out for breakfast and some shopping for our businesses.

On the way we decided to take a detour. We had accidentally found this once many years ago after taking a wrong turn so we thought we had some time, we needed to just relax and enjoy our little drive so we made the turn on the detour road.

I couldn’t help but find Eucharisteo in the midst of my surroundings.

The path. There’s always a path. Sometimes we know the destination yet other times, we are wandering aimlessly. I feel grateful for what each journey has taught me. About myself. About my relationships. About my God.

The sun. It is warm. It is radiant. And each morning it appears again. It awakens our souls. It brightens our spirits. It makes us happy. It makes me happy.


One lane. One life. One beautiful life. One opportunity to live it. Embracing that one life. Grateful for it.


Water. Flowing over the jagged rocks. Bubbly and cool. Peaceful. Calming. Refreshing. Water soothes my soul. Thankful for the gift of water.


History. We all have history. We all have a story. My story is different from your story. My hard differs from yours. Your joys vary from mine. I’m embracing my history. The hard and the joy. Without it, I wouldn’t be me.


The destination. A perfect day. Best company. Music filling the cab of the truck. Mountain hills, trees changing colors and glistening lakes. God’s creation abounds. My senses are full. My heart is grateful.

Posted by dktyriver | Filed under Uncategorized

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We Welcome Refugees….

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

A Holy Experience, Ann Voskamp, children, family, god, hope, Jen Hatmaker, jesus, life, love, refugees, syria, united states

#Wewelcomerefugees

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Just saw this on Jen Hatmaker’s page and I read some of the comments. Some of them went like this….

“Not on our soil.”

“Who is going to pay to feed these people?”

“Sorry. Nope.”

And someone said to Jen, “You are too liberal to be a devout Christian.” Really???

Thankfully most of the comments were positive. Helpful. Interested. Caring. Loving.
But I walked away from that thread with tears in my eyes wondering how people can be so callous. This could be us. This could be our children washing up on the shoreline. This could be our family and friends in Guatemala or anywhere in the world. How can we turn our backs when people are fleeing to SAVE THEIR LIVES??!! This is why the Holocaust went on as long as it did. It was easier to believe it wasn’t really happening.

I’m not one to get all political but my heart is hurting. For the Syrians who are living in horrific conditions and for the hearts of some of my fellow Americans who are hardened.

God loves all of His children, no matter where we were born or raised. All. Grace.

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Visit http://wewelcomerefugees.com for more information.

When dinner goes awry……..

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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changes, church, cooking, dinner, faith, god, goodness, hope, italian, Jen Hatmaker, life, love, ministry, recipe, rigatoni, scripture, service, worship, zucchini

I bought some beautiful locally grown zucchini at the Farmer’s Market this past week.  Had great intentions for those zucchini. I was going to make lasagna, using zucchini slices as noodles. I’ve seen it on Pinterest and a friend of mine has made it and loved it.  I thought I could surely do something so easy!

At the restaurant we had smoked some Conecuh Sausage on the pit so instead of ground beef, I planned to use that. Purchased some mozzarella and ricotta and was ready to go.

Well, the afternoon brought some changes to the day (naturally, right? Best laid plans and all of that :-)) so by the time it was time to start dinner, the last thing I wanted to do was peel layers and layers of zucchini.

Scooted around the kitchen, found a box of rigatoni, looked up a basic recipe online to bake it and tada! A masterpiece was born!  Took the one zucchini I had sliced (mangled) and tossed it into the sauce and ad libbed my way through the recipe.

Still used the ricotta, sausage and mozzarella and made something that was unbelievable outstanding, if I do say so myself.  Everyone was happy and no one was the wiser that my first plan didn’t happen.

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Started thinking about this in terms of my walk with God. I know. You’re thinking, how’d she go from rigatoni to God?  Stay with me.

We live our lives with “our” plans firmly in place. We say, “okay, God….I’m going to be a marine biologist when I grow up.”  “I’m going to lead worship at church.”   “I’m going to go on mission trips all over the world.”  “I’m going to just sit here on my couch and not volunteer to do anything because I really don’t want to.”

And God comes into that picture and says, Hold on my Child.  For *I* know the plans *I* have for you.   He says, I knew you in your Mother’s womb.  He saw my substance and the days were fashioned for me.  He says that all things work together for the good, to those who are called to *His* purpose.

(Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:16, Rom. 8:28)

My plans are not always His plans.  Never in a million years, after 14 years of leading worship did I think I would be in a position to not be a worship leader any longer.  It’s been 10 years now, minus a short-term stint and it still catches me off guard now and again. But God had other plans.  I was blessed beyond measure to come to a church that had amazing music and worship and I was able to sit under someone that I respected greatly and continue learning from.  God used those years and I’m forever thankful!

But life changes.  Dinner plans change.  God provides new opportunities.  That zucchini idea was great, but it wasn’t what was happening tonight. Rigatoni took it’s place and it was delightful!

Missions and women’s ministry has created new desires within me and brought out strengths I didn’t know I had.  I may not be as involved in worship leading any longer and that’s okay. God can use me for kinds of good to accomplish His purpose. He can lead us, if we listen for His voice. Sometimes roaring like a lion, other times it’s a still small voice. But in all, whether you’re slicing up a beautiful homegrown zucchini or opening up a box of rigatoni, God. Is. Good.

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This weekend……..wait…..

23 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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Tags

#roadtobecoming, #roadtobecominglaunchteam, addison road, autism, be still, books, christian, faith, god, hope, Jenny Simmons, life, missions, music, patience, Pre-order, special needs, wait

well, it’s been a whirlwind of activity.  Friday night football game meant I had to show up at our restaurant to work because people stop in on the way to the game. Always a fun time of seeing our friends in the community!

Saturday morning, bright and early, meet up at church. Watch the guys load the trailers and head out to set up a Wellness Clinic in an area of our community where people may not be able to afford good healthcare.  We were excited to do this and happy that the temperatures were going to be cooler. Ha!  Once that sun came out it came out hard and humidity and sweat were just a part of the day.  There was no worrying over hairstyles or sweat marks and drippy faces. It was hot and you just dealt with it.  I remember being at a Nascar race on July 4th once for what was then called the Pepsi 400.  We were dripping and you got to the point that you just owned it. You had no choice. Same for a time that we were at Fenway Park in beautiful Downtown Boston watching our beloved Red Sox play.  It was July 4th (recurring theme, here?) and the hottest day of the year so far in Massachusetts. There wasn’t a lick of breeze and you just ate your hot dog, drank beer, soda and water and prayed your saliva would not completely dry up.   Yesterday wasn’t as hot as my Nascar/Red Sox experiences but by the time I got home…..that shirt was wet.

Then off to work for a wedding meeting. Nothing like showing up to a wedding meeting looking like you walked 40 miles to get there. Lovely.  But….I did book the wedding!

Saturday night was spent catching up on paperwork.  Reworking catering quotes, redesigning the new restaurant’s menu.  Figuring out what else needs to be ordered.

Finally, I found my way to my pajamas and my bedroom and I flipped open my laptop (which was hurting for power by this time) and I read.  And I kept reading.  I read until I finished the book.

My material was the soon-to-be-released book by Jenny Simmons called The Road to Becoming.  Jenny can write.  She can make a magnolia tree feel like it was created solely to give me and only me, shade.  She can make a river bank sound like the most perfect place to go and build a hut and live there forever so that you can hear the river flowing over the smooth and ragged rocks.  She writes from her heart and in that, your heart is touched.

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Jenny’s story isn’t easy. Well, it starts out that way. She becomes a famous, popular and well-known lead singer for the band Addison Road. As a singer myself, there is nothing I would have loved more. Even being someone’s back up would have made my day. And Jenny was living the dream. Her dream!

And then….life crashed.  Crashed and burned. (literally)  Life changed in such a way that dreams were crushed under the weight of blown up RV’s, theft, breakdowns and more.

This book is how to build back to being whole again when life doesn’t go as you planned. And Jenny’s plans changed.  So much!

We’ve all been there. Thought that life would go one way yet it goes another.  I’ve been there.  I didn’t think I’d have a special needs child. That was for other people. People who could handle it.  I just liked helping special needs children out. I wasn’t supposed to parent one.  I was supposed to have a little girl who loved to be swaddled. Who loved to wear pretty bows in her hair and eventually go to the mall with her Mom.  I was supposed to have a little girl who grew up and wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, restaurant owner.  A little girl who would find the man of her dreams and we would all love him and he would love us.

I didn’t get all of that. But I did get so much more. Who knew!!

Jenny found out later that she too ended up with so much more. But she realized that she had to wait. She had to be still.  “Peace, be still”.  “Wait on the Lord”.  “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength”.   We know the scriptures.  But do we do it?

Yesterday, I was driving to the Wellness Clinic and I drove down a quiet country road, I looked over at a small white and blue house that for some reason, I look at each time I drive by and a man and woman were sitting on the front porch swing having their coffee.  I actually laughed out loud in my car thinking, “People really do that??” and then realized that I needed to do that more.  I needed to wait. I needed to be still.

This morning at church, my Pastor spoke on being still.  Waiting.

Really??  Okay God….are you trying to tell me something?  Within a 28 hour period, I felt conviction in this area on three different occasions.  Wait. Peace. Be Still.

My Pastor’s message was right on.  Jenny’s book….right on.  The people swinging on their front porch….right on.

Me? Time to get “right on” with waiting. With being still.

Only with your guidance and help, Lord. Only with You.

Love and Joy…..

Denise~

You can pre-order Jenny Simmon’s book, The Road to Becoming by clicking the link below!  (sorry, I haven’t figured out yet how to make the link look pretty!!)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801019559/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0801019559&linkCode=as2&tag=jennsimm09-20&linkId=VB425IE47OOJU7HK

And the winner is……

23 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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#ftllaunchteam, community, drawing, faith, For the Love, free book, god, hope, husband, Jen Hatmaker, love, love this book, winner

Staci Morrow!!!   Woohoo!

(this is our very fancy way of doing the drawing. Thanks to the hub for being my picker!)

IMG_0882 Staci will receive a FREE COPY of Jen Hatmaker’s new book, For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards.

Thanks to everyone who shared my blog about the book. It’s a great book. Go get it. Read it.  It will change you. And Jen will be your BFF, too!!

Love and Joy!

Denise~

(Happy Sunday Morning! Off to church in 5!)

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Jen Hatmaker is my BFF…..

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

#500, #ftl, blog tour, book release, church, faith, For the Love, For the Love free book, free book, giveaway, god, hope, Jen Hatmaker, love, women

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(artwork by Jenny Johnson Ross)

If you have ever read anything by Jen Hatmaker, participated in one of her bible studies or watched her precious family on HGTV’s My Big Family Renovation, you too probably refer to Jen as your BFF.  She just has that kind of personality. You feel like you’ve known her your whole life, that you can hang out with her and that she would find you totally cool, too!  I can right now think of about 500 women who think of Jen as her best friend!

The #500 came to be because of a post about joining Jen Hatmaker’s launch team for her new book, For the Love.  I happened to be online when the post came out and jumped on it. Out of 5000 entires, 500 were chosen to make up the team. And a team it is!  It has become community. It has become a group of people who deeply care for one another. A group of people who have dug into their pocketbooks to help others in need.  A group of people who pray for one another.  Who have shared in losses and celebrations. A group who intends to remain a group long after the book has been released.

Jen’s book, For the Love is a compilation of essays written in Jen Hatmaker’s style of sarcasm and wit. What makes Jen so relatable to people is her self-deprecating humor. If she is busting on someone “Christians give me a migraine”, she is busting on herself equally. Or more.

Her essays take no prisoners. If you are in the least bit offended by some of what Jen is saying to you as it relates to your faith or your church, it’s probably because there is a flashing neon sign in front of you saying “pay attention to this!!”.  I saw that neon sign many times in this book and in two of Jen’s previous books, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess and Interrupted.  My eyes are still stinging!

Jen speaks into grace. She speaks into love. And she tells us that it’s okay. We are going to feel overwhelmed. We are going to feel like we aren’t enough at times.  We are going to want to bury our heads in the sand and make it all go away.  Jen reminds us that we are not alone in this journey.  That store bought cupcakes are OK.

Some favorite quotes from the book:

“We need to quit trying to be awesome and instead be wise.”

On Theology: “If it isn’t also true for a poor single Christian mom in Haiti, it isn’t true.”

Single Mom

“We are called to this work, and it might not seem like much, but if you play your one note and I play mine and she plays hers, together it will create a beautiful song that sounds like freedom for the captives and good news to the poor.”

Regarding a short term missions project in Ethiopia:  “So before they arrived each July, the children rubbed the pristine walls with dirt and debris so the Americans could repaint and feel good about their “helpful yearly trip.”

So today is launch day for the new book, For the Love!  Women, this book will help you down off that ledge of perfectionism. It will help you to not always feel like you have to have all of the answers or throw the most perfect 1st birthday party ever from your favorite 300 Pinterest posts.  It’s liberating, brutally honest and refreshing!

You can order a copy here:

http://smile.amazon.com/Love-Fighting-Grace-Impossible-Standards/dp/0718031822/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439899897&sr=8-1&keywords=for+the+love

11109213_10206234348291595_8397783984738380235_nAnd you can win a FREE copy of the book from me by doing the following:

  1.  Like and Share this blog.
  2.  Leave a comment below to let     me know you did. 
  3.  Go follow Jen Hatmaker on her blog and Facebook page.

jenhatmaker.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jen-Hatmaker/203920953040241?fref=ts

The FREE book giveaway will happen on Sunday, August 23, 2015!

Friends, I get nothing out of promoting this book but the sheer joy of knowing that along with me, you will come down off the ledge a bit!  You won’t regret it!

For the Love of Free Books, share away!

Denise~

Want to read other great blogger’s take on For the Love? Check out the links below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Medicaid isn’t only about welfare….

10 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by dktyriver in Uncategorized

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Alabama, cuts, government, help, hope, least of these, medicaid, senior citizens, single mothers, special needs, welfare

Last week the Alabama Legislature voted to slash the Medicaid budget by $156 million.   Some will argue that this is needed.  “Welfare is out of control”,  people “use the system to get by”, “it creates laziness in people”, “it’s only for those who want a free ride”. We have all heard it before. We may have even said a phrase or two a time or two.

Let me just say in case you aren’t aware that Medicaid is not only for the poor. It’s not only for those who choose to not work.  Medicaid helps single mothers who have no other financial help coming in. It helps families who are down on their luck. It helps to put food on the table for those who may not otherwise be able to afford it.

It also provides benefits for those with disabilities.  My child benefits from Medicaid.  Insurance will only pay for a child until they are of a certain age AND as long as they are in college.   So, now my daughter has insurance via Medicaid. It doesn’t necessarily allow her to go to the doctors that we would choose, but she is covered.  Medicaid also provides her with various services.  She has a place to go during the day, caregivers to help throughout the week which helps to foster a sense of independence away from Mom and Dad.  If we didn’t have this help, we would have to be looking at a group home situation, which would break our hearts and would cost the government more money.

Because of these cuts, she could possibly lose services.  We know how fortunate we have been to have them. We have friends who are on the waiting list and may be for some time.  Timing was on our side as we were on the waiting list for 3 years already and extra grant money came in that took a lot of clients off of the waiting list.  We do not ignore that this was a huge blessing!!

One of the programs that she attended was free because of a grant.  Because of the costs, they lost the grant and now will have to charge for the program. I don’t mind paying for it as it is well worth it and she loves to go but there are others who may not be able to go now because they can’t afford to pay for it.

I understand that cuts are always made to programs. But Senior Citizens and those with disabilities should be the last group to be cut from. They need our help. They need our guidance. They need our support.  What are we doing to the least of these?

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